CN114929292A

CN114929292A - Dry diffuser apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: CN114929292A
Application number: CN202180008605.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 大卫·阿马尔; 罗伯特·布莱洛克
Original assignee: First Sense Technology LLC
Current assignee: First Sense Technology LLC
Priority date: 2020-01-10
Filing date: 2021-01-07
Publication date: 2022-08-19
Also published as: WO2021142089A1; US11464882B2; EP4087622A1; EP4087622A4; US20210213151A1

Abstract

A dry diffuser is disclosed that avoids the typical safety and transportation issues of liquid diffusers, candles, and wax melts, and provides system-controlled diffusion of fragrance (or other active material) over a relatively long period of time through a programmable user interface.

Description

Dry diffuser apparatus and method

Technical Field

Background

The most common fragrance dispensers are candles, wax melts, reed dispensers, and liquid atomization devices. These devices utilize flames, high heat or liquids, which pose a risk of personal injury or property damage. Liquid fragrance diffusers, in particular, have the potential for spillage that can contaminate surfaces near the diffuser. The present invention relates to dry diffuser technology that is safer and easier to transport. In addition, the diffuser device allows for controlled diffusion of the fragrance (or other active material) over a relatively long period of time. Methods of using diffusers include the use of programmable "smart" features for remotely controlling diffuser operation and output.

Disclosure of Invention

In one aspect, the present invention is a dry diffuser apparatus comprising: a housing having an air inlet, an outlet aperture, and an air flow path within the housing from the air inlet aperture to the outlet aperture; the non-liquid evaporative media and air filter are disposed in an integrated package received in the housing; the air foil being in communication with the evaporative medium and adjacent the exit orifice; the fan is located downstream of the air filter and upstream of the evaporative media in the air flow path; the programmable controller is configured to control the fan speed and the fan duty cycle in response to a user input and in response to properties of the evaporative medium and the air foil.

In another aspect, the invention is a method for providing timed diffusion of a substance from a dry evaporative medium, the method comprising: providing a device having a housing with an air intake aperture, an outlet aperture, and an air flow path within the housing from the air intake aperture to the outlet aperture; providing a non-liquid evaporative medium and an air filter in an integrated package in a housing; providing an air foil in communication with the evaporative medium and proximate the exit orifice; providing a fan in communication with the power source, the fan being located downstream of the air filter and upstream of the evaporative media in the air flow path; and directing air from the air intake aperture through the air foil to the exit aperture along an air flow path using the fan, in accordance with a programmable controller that sets the speed and duty cycle of the fan.

In an embodiment, the device is configured to communicate via an application, and the method comprises communicating information about the device to a user and/or to a centralized database with the application.

Drawings

The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a diffuser apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention mounted on a standard electrical wall socket;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional cut-away view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a cartridge assembly utilizing a housing including compartments for an air filter and dry diffuser media according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of a diffuser according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a mounting plate for mounting the diffuser on a standard electrical wall outlet; and

fig. 5 is an exploded view of a diffuser according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the housing 22 comprises a front portion 21 and a rear portion 23, the front portion 21 and the rear portion 23 being adapted to close together in embodiments such as with screws, clips, magnetic mounts or hinges. The gap between the front and rear portions forms an air intake aperture 20 into the housing. The airflow is generated by the fan 24 along an airflow path "A" such that air flows from the upstream intake aperture 20, through the filter 25 and fan 24 downstream of the intake aperture, into an air foil region 27, and finally through a downstream exit aperture 29 and out of the device to provide diffused fragrance (or other active agent) to the surrounding area

In an embodiment, the device includes an integrated package or cartridge 34 received in the housing 22. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the cartridge 34 comprises a compartment 28 adapted to receive a non-liquid evaporative medium 61 and an air filter compartment 31 adapted to receive an air filter 25, the cartridge 34 being adapted for mounting over the fan 24 to filter air flowing into the fan 24.

"Integrated" as used herein means connected together and used together. The embodiment of the cartridge 34 shown in fig. 3 shows the filter and evaporative media integrated into one cartridge 34, and the cartridge 34 may be a unitary piece, such as one made of molded plastic. However, one of ordinary skill in the art may choose to integrate these elements in other ways, such that the elements are adapted to be attached together and used together. Thus, an "integrated package" may be as simple as a clip that holds the filter and the evaporative media together so that they may be handled and installed together in a certain position relative to each other. An advantage of having a single cartridge for both the filter and the evaporation media is that the filter is replaced with the evaporation media, thereby ensuring consistent filtration of the air with minimal end user involvement. A release foil (not shown) may be provided to ensure stability of the evaporation medium and air filter 25 prior to use. The filter is configured to be placed before or "upstream" of the fan 24, which prevents contamination of the evaporative media 61 and the fan 24. Placing the filters 25 end-to-end in the cassette 34 with the evaporation media 61 also helps to prevent contamination of the filter material.

The air filter 25 may be a porous material containing carbon particles. Other air filter arrangements are known in the art and may be adapted to provide a filtered air supply to the fan.

Any substance capable of evaporating from a dry medium (broadly, "an active agent") may be suitable for use with the present invention, including fragrances, insect repellants, odor neutralizers, or other diffusible substances. In embodiments, the active agent may be provided on a porous solid support, such as by impregnated paper, porous plastic or other non-woven fibrous material, or the like, with an amount of liquid active ingredient such that the liquid does not settle or flow into the device. In other embodiments, the active agent may be volatile but solid at room temperature, and may be in particular, for example, particulate form. In the context of the present invention, "dry" simply means that the active agent does not flow.

The fan 24 directs air through the fan and into the air foil 27, the air foil 27 being in communication with the evaporative medium 61 and adjacent the outlet aperture 29. The air foil may be designed to control the residence time of the air stream "a" in contact with the evaporative medium. Reducing the volume of the air space increases the velocity of the air over the medium, which reduces the residence time of the air in contact with the fragrance (or other active agent). In an embodiment, the air foil 27 comprises a low pressure zone and a high pressure zone. In an embodiment, the outlet aperture 29 may be directionally adjustable.

A programmable controller (50) (shown schematically) is provided to control the fan speed and fan duty cycle in response to user input and in response to properties of the evaporative medium and the air foil. The controller may be adapted to communicate wirelessly through a remote device, such as using

Smart phones of the art, etc. Techniques for remotely controlling devices are known to those of ordinary skill in the art and are not described in detail herein.

Although embodiments of the invention are not limited in this respect, discussions utilizing terms such as, for example, "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," "establishing", "analyzing", "checking", or the like, may refer to operation(s) and/or process (es) of a computer, computing platform, computing system, or other electronic computing device, located either at the diffuser or remote from the diffuser, that manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within the computer's registers and/or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer's registers and/or memories, or other information-non-transitory storage media that may store instructions to perform operations and/or processes. As used herein, "controller" and "control device" may refer to a computer on the diffuser, in the user's smartphone (or other device), or in a remote location, as will be clear from the context.

A programmable controller may be used to provide automatic adjustment of the fan speed and duty cycle according to a predetermined profile of the dry evaporative medium over time. For example, and not by way of limitation, it may be desirable to provide a uniform amount of diffused fragrance in a space. As the amount of active agent in the carrier decreases, an evaporative medium containing a fragrance (or other active agent) on the carrier may tend to diffuse fewer fragrance molecules per unit time into the surrounding area. The programmable controller may compensate for the concentration decrease by increasing the fan speed and/or duty cycle according to a predetermined schedule specific to the fragrance (or other active agent). Dry evaporative media can have a tendency to diffuse rapidly at the onset and decay over time. The present invention provides a means of adjusting the mechanical characteristics of a device, such as a fan, based on known properties of the media. This relationship has not been exploited in the prior art. Further, the distribution of the particular medium may be identified by the device, such as by providing RFID and/or bar code identification, which when identified by the device controller triggers a predetermined duty cycle appropriate for the particular medium.

A low intensity heater (not shown) is optional. In an embodiment, no heater is provided. However, in other embodiments, the diffuser further comprises a heater, and the programmable controller is further configured to control the heater temperature and duty cycle in response to user input and/or properties of the evaporation medium and the air foil. For example, in the previous example, where the concentration of the active agent in the carrier decreases over time and it is desired to maintain a constant output over time, the heater may be programmed to increase the temperature of the carrier over time to increase the diffusion of the active agent. The protocol for heating and fan settings and duty cycle may be predetermined by the test cartridge.

The electronic air purification component is optional. In an embodiment, no electronic air purifier is provided. However, in other embodiments, the diffuser further comprises an air purifier, such as an ionizer and/or a UV lamp, and the programmable controller may be configured to control the air purifying components.

Fig. 4 depicts an arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention in which a power source 46 may be hidden in a recess 48 in the housing 22 and the device may be mounted over a standard electrical wall outlet using the mounting plate 42. In this embodiment, the mounting plate 42 may be secured to a standard 110V U.S. wall socket by a mounting screw positioned through one of the two mounting holes 43, and the non-conductive pin 44 extending from the mounting plate 42 is positioned, sized and shaped to be received in a ground receptacle of the socket, stabilizing the mounting. Mounting plate locking tabs 45 (shown in fig. 5) fit into slots in the rear portion 23 to secure the housing 22. Release holes 47 on each side of the rear provide a means for releasing the locking tabs 45 to remove the housing 22 from the wall plate 42. Alternatively, the apparatus may be adapted for mounting on a flat surface, such as a shelf or the like. The power source may be external to the housing. In other embodiments, the power source is a battery. Fig. 1 shows a wall socket mounted diffuser device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 depicts the apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention in an exploded view showing simple components using the cartridge 34, fan sub-housing 52 and air foil frame 15 in addition to the front 21 and rear 23 of the housing 22. In an embodiment, the front portion 21 and the rear portion 23 may be hinged. The air foil 27 can be designed to create high and low pressure zones at the surface of the evaporative media 61 to control the rate of evaporation of fragrance (or other volatile material) from the surface of the media and the retention time within the device. In an embodiment, the air foil 27 is designed for a specific evaporation medium, depending on the requirements of the evaporation and diffusion profile of the medium. In other embodiments, the air foil 27 may be made adjustable to accommodate evaporation and diffusion profiles of different evaporation media.

In an embodiment, the diffuser includes status lights 69 or other user visual display to convey the status of the device. In an embodiment, a dry diffuser apparatus according to the present invention may be provided with a wireless connection that communicates with a user using an application program (such as a smart phone application program). For example, the diffuser may be configured to detect a connected smartphone, to automatically turn on when the smartphone is within range and to turn off when the connected smartphone is out of range. Alternatively or additionally, data regarding the operation of the diffuser may be maintained on the application program so that the user is alerted when the cartridge needs to be replaced or if the location of the device has changed, or other device status information requires the attention of the user. The application may be configured to send information about the device to the central database including, for example, cartridge replacement date/time, Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) of installed cartridges, device settings, setting history, device runtime, and location. The application may be configured for remote troubleshooting.

Modalities for providing connectivity between a diffuser and a smartphone (or other device) include

A wireless communication protocol,

Personal assistant software,

Personal assistant software, etc., as well as other modalities known in the art or developed for the same purpose. Communication between the diffuser and a remote location may be through a smart phone or other device such as

Or

Home network facilities, etc. Information regarding the operation of the diffuser may be provided to a remote location where the information is stored and processed. For example, monitoring the position of the diffuser may be used for safety, triggering an alarm if the diffuser is moved. When the box or other part of the diffuser is requiredTo replace, the controller in the remote location may generate an alarm. Usage data of the diffuser over time, such as the type and amount of fragrance, etc., may be compared to pre-selected information in a database, including customer-specific information, and used to manage customer relationships. Wirelessly collecting data from the diffuser and processing the data at a remote location may have additional applications that will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

In an embodiment, the duty cycle and intensity of the fan and/or heater (if any) over time may be automatically set based on reading computer readable information provided on, for example, a cartridge, product SKU, or RFID chip, and this information may be communicated to a user's smartphone or other computer, or to a remote location.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims. Variations of the described embodiments may be implemented by persons of ordinary skill in the art in light of the foregoing disclosure without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. The features described in connection with the embodiment or the independent claims or the dependent claims limitations may be adapted for use with another embodiment or independent claims without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A dry diffuser apparatus comprising:

a housing having an air intake aperture, an outlet aperture, and an air flow path within the housing from the air intake aperture to the outlet aperture;

a non-liquid evaporative media and an air filter in an integrated package received in the housing;

an air foil in communication with the evaporative medium and proximate the exit orifice;

a fan located downstream of the air filter and upstream of the evaporative media in the air flow path;

a power source; and

a programmable controller configured to control a fan speed and a fan duty cycle in response to a user input and in response to properties of the evaporative medium and the air foil.

2. The dry diffuser apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan and/or the outlet aperture is directionally adjustable.

3. The dry diffuser apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heater, and wherein the programmable controller is further configured to control the temperature and duty cycle of the heater in response to user input and properties of the evaporation medium and the air foil.

4. The dry diffuser apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising an air purifier and wherein the programmable controller is further configured to control a duty cycle of the air purifier in response to a user input and a property of an airflow through the device.

5. The dry diffuser apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said power source is removably received in said housing and is configured to be received in a standard electrical wall socket.

6. The dry diffuser apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising a mounting plate for mounting the apparatus to a standard electrical wall socket.

7. The dry diffuser apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the programmable controller comprises a wireless connection with a user's smart phone.

8. The dry diffuser apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the evaporation medium comprises a fragrance, insect repellent or odor neutralizer on a porous solid carrier.

9. The dry diffuser apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the integrated package containing the air filter and the evaporative medium contains computer-readable indicia, and wherein the programmable controller is adapted to transmit information obtained from the computer-readable indicia to a user's smartphone and/or remote computer.

10. The dry diffuser apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air foil has a high pressure region and a low pressure region in communication with the evaporation media.

11. A method for providing timed diffusion of a substance from a dry evaporative medium, comprising:

providing a device having a housing with an air intake aperture, an outlet aperture, and an air flow path within the housing from the air intake aperture to the outlet aperture;

providing a non-liquid evaporative medium and an air filter in an integrated package in the housing;

providing an air foil in communication with the evaporative medium and proximate the exit orifice;

providing a low intensity heater in communication with a power source, said heater being upstream of a fan and in adjacent communication with said evaporative medium;

providing an air purifier in communication with a power source, the air purifier being located downstream of the air filter and upstream of the evaporative media in the air flow path;

providing a fan in communication with a power source, the fan being located downstream of the air filter and upstream of the evaporative media in the air flow path; and

directing air along the air flow path from the air intake aperture through the air foil to the outlet aperture using a fan, a programmable controller that sets the speed and duty cycle of the air purifier and fan.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the programmable controller provides automatic adjustment of the speed and duty cycle for the fan according to a predetermined profile of the dry evaporative media over time.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the programmable controller provides automatic adjustment of the speed and duty cycle for the fan depending on the size and location of high and low pressure zones in the air foil proximate the dry evaporative media.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising varying the relative size and location of the high and low pressure regions of the air foil according to a predetermined distribution of the dry evaporative media over time.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a heater in the housing and controlling a temperature and duty cycle of the heater in response to user input and predetermined properties of the evaporation medium and the air foil.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing an air purifier in the housing and controlling an intensity and duty cycle of the air purifier in response to user input and predetermined properties of the evaporative media and the air foil.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the power source is concealed by a recess in the housing and is configured to be mounted on a standard electrical wall outlet.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the rear portion of the housing includes a mounting plate and a non-conductive post adapted to be received in a ground receptacle of a wall outlet when the power supply is mounted on the wall outlet.

19. The method of claim 10, comprising providing instructions to the programmable controller with a smartphone of a user connected to the programmable controller via a wireless connection.

20. The method of claim 10, comprising communicating status information about the device to a remote location.

21. The method of claim 17, comprising reading computer-readable information about the evaporative medium from indicia on the integrated package, providing the information, and communicating the information to a smartphone of a user.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein the diffusion substance in the evaporation medium comprises a fragrance, an insect repellent, or an odor neutralizer.